Machine k



W. T. GAIVIAGE.

MACHINE FOR CUITING FISH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.4. 1914.

1,31 6,026. Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Zflri'zzesses I72 Wen for:

@m/ FM f Q YwWS. gum/Va /WM I V @M QWWBQDL c/Qtzorney- W. T. GAMAGE.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING FISH. APPLICATION FILED AUG.4.1914.

1,316,026. Patentedfiept. 16,1919.

\ 2 SHEETSSHEET 2- M5622 6356s: In were for:

, unrrsn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. 1,316,026. r Sp fi o of Letters Patent Patented Sept. 16, 1919. Application filed August 4, 1914. Serial lea/855,048.

To all whom it may concern: having sharp cutting edges and are sup- Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. GAM- ported in working position by being AGE, a citizen ofvthe United States, residing mounted upon a shaft 2, upon which they at Gloucester, in the county of Essex, State are spaced apart transversely of the machine 5 of .Massachusetts, have invented a certain according to the length or lengths of the new and useful Improvement in Machines sections mtowhich the fish or piece of fish is for Cutting Fish, of which the following is to be divided. For convenience of construca specification,reference being bad therein tion, and tow facilitate assembling and disto the accompanying drawings. assembling, the cutter-disks are fitted upon 10 The invention comprises improvements the said shaft with spacing-sleeves 3, 3, designed more especially for employment in vtherebetween to hold them in proper spaced machines for cutting fish into pieces of prerelation, the shaft 2 being shouldered near determined length. While the said improveone end as indicated at 4, with collar 5 posiments primarily are intended to be applied tioned against the shoulder, and the cutters 15 in machines employed in cutting up cured and spacing-sleeves being clamped between fish into -short sections or lengths in nreparathe collar 5 and a collar 6 near the opposite tion for-packing, they also are useful in maend of the shaft by means of a nut? chines for cutting fresh or uncured fish into threaded on to such end and engaging with similar sections or lengths in prep;- ration collar 6. This end of the shaft beyond the 0 for canning or other processes, and in mathreaded portion is reduced as indicated at chines for doing other analogous work. 8 to provide a smooth bearing portion or The invention aims generally to provide journal. The shaft is suitably mounted upon a simplified and improved machine, and the main frame 90f the machine, as by means more specifically to provide improved of bearings provided in connection with 25 means for feeding the fish to and past the brackets 10, 11, bolted to the frame at oppocutters and holding it during the cutting site sides of the machine. These bearings operation and as it passes and leaves the preferably are split, the upper portions or cutters. bearing-caps 13, 14, being removable to per- The nature and object of the invention mit the shaft with the cutters to be lifted so will more fully appear from the following from the bearings for cleaning the machine specification and accompanying drawings, or for sharpening the blades. In the conand the novel features will particularly struction illustrated the bearing-caps 13,14, pointed out in the claims. are pivoted to the brackets by pivot-pins 15,

. Referring to 'the drawings in which I 16, and are held in closed position by screw- 35 have illustrated a selected embodiment of bolts 17, 18, extending through slots in the my invention, bearing-caps as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a A driving-pulley 19 is secured to one end machine constructed in accordance with my of the shaft 2 with its hub in position to en invention. v gage the adjacent bearing. Longitudinal 96 40 Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same, with movement of the shaft 2 is prevented by the portions of two of the conveyer-belts partly engagement of the pulley-hub and the collar broken out at the rear of the cutters. 5 with opposite sides of the said bearing,

Fig. 3 is a view in section in the plane of which is located between them. the dotted line 3, 3, Fig. 1, looking in the The conveyer means consists, as illus- 100 45 direction indicated by the arrows. trat'ed, of a series of parallel conveyer-belts The machine illustrated comprises, essen- 20, 20, running upon pulleys 21, 22mounted tially, a series of parallel cutters, conveyer upon shafts 23, 24, rotatable in bearings means by which the fish or piece of fish to be provided on the main frame of the machine. cut into shorter lengths or sections is carried The lower portions of the cutter-disks work 5,0 to and past the cutters, and presser means between the proximate edges of these concooper'ating with the conveyer means to inveyer-belts. This series of parallel consure proper feeding of the fish to and past veyer-belts constitutes a sectional endless the cutters, and in holding the fish in place conveyer. The fish laid upon the upper while being cut.' runs of the said conveyer-belts at the feed- 55 The cutters in this instance, and prefer- .ing end of the machine is carried by the ably, are in the form of rotatable disks 1, 1, same to the cutters, and the out pieces are carried away from the cutters in a manner enabling them-to be conveniently removed table .to receive the by an operator, or if referred the said pieces may be discharge into. a conven ent receptacle or transferred to an auxiliary conveyer for transportation to any desired. point. It will be noted that the construction is such that these belts may be made. of convas or similar material, and may be easily cleanedwhen desired. f The frame 9 is provided with a table I upon which the upper runs of the conveyerbelts travel, andby which the weight of the said runs and the material carried thereby is supported. Slots 26 arev provided in this portions of the cutters which project down below the belts. These 4 slots are made no wider than is necessary toaccommodate such portions of the cutters and their edges are fitted as snugly as Is practicable to the sides of the cutter-disks,

. thus operating to'keepthe cutters clean and also providing support for the flexible belts as close to the sides of the cutters as poswith one another, at

- to the edges of the bel sible. A supply table 27 is shown at the feeding end of the machine, conveniently located and designed to receive the fish pre- Yvious toits beingplaced upon the conveyercase of lateral swaying of the belts, is avoidautomatically the belts and insure a I as - tioned that ed by providing for a small interval between adjacent edges enabling them to clear the sides of the cutters slightly. The belts pre- ,sent a substantially continuous conveying surface in front and at the rear of the cutters, and provide support for the fish close along side the cutting edges, so that they prevent portions of the fish being carried down-by the cutters through the slots 26 in the table. Thereby jamming of pieces of fish in the .,said slots and clogging of the cutter-disks is revented.

eans preferably is provided to take up slack ofthe conveyerproper tension thereof. In the construction illustrated a single idler or" tightening cylinder 29 rests upon and engages the'lower runs of all, of the conveyerbelts. This cylinder is retained in its working position by links 30, 31, pivoted-to the 'b free ends of the shaft 23. Theweight of the said cylinder, aided by added weights or by springs if found necessary, is so proporthe desired tension will be obtained. v x 4 The presser means operates to press the fish against the conveyer means, and in the ward and of each of the latter,

may be utilized, if desired, to

' upon the rod 35. at the ends hubs hold the'arms in'position upon the said.

estate's preferred form is so constructed that it acomplishes two objects. It holds the fish against the conveyer means with suflicient pressure to insure feeding movement, and it cooperates with the conveyer means to clamp the fish immediatel at the places where the cuts are being ma e by the cutters, vent deflection. of portions of the during the cutting operation. In

material the illustrated construction the presser means comprises presser devices 32, 32, so constructed and so arranged and combined with each of to-prethe cutters, asqto bear upon the fish upon" opposite sides of the cutter, immediately ad-- oining the latter.' The construction ma vary more or less in practice, erably there are two presser each two adg rom the conve yl'er means independently of the other. he presser depreferably each other; The best results in the cutting operation are obtained if the presser devices are positioned close to the cutting edges of the respective cutters, at both sides obtains-in the construction illustrated. The presser devices 32, 32, of the said illustrated construction are shown in the form of rolls or disks, which are sufliciently although pre Y I devices between acent cutters, each yieldable toand this arrangement i weighted to provide the desired pressure, I

but it will be obvious that spring-tension hold the rolls or disks down. The rolls or disks are suitably mounted for verticalmovement, bein connected to pivoted arms 33, 33. In the g with being mounted upon a supporting-rod 35 extending transversely of the frame and as byrawings the-arms 33 are each provided an extended hub 34, the series of hubs mounted in brackets40, 4:1. The contact of j the ends of the extended hubs with one an- 3 other prevents lateral movement of the arms and rolls, or disks, but each of the rolls or disks 'is'independently movablein a vertical plane to accommodate itself to irregularities in the thickness and surface of the fish passing under it. Collars 36, 37, of the series of rod. The collar 36 may be placed directly against the adjacent supportingbracket 40, f

for'the supporting-rod, but the other collar,

- 37, is preferably fixed upon the supporting-- rod as b means of a clamping screw 37 The brac ets 40, 41, are secured to the frame y convenient means, as by screw-bolts 42,

42, extending through slots 43, 43, in the flanges of such bracketsinto the frame. To provide for adjustment of the rolls so as to enable them tobe located proper] with respect to the points at which the e cutter-disks cut into the fish, the said slots Y 43, 43, are elongated horizontally, which perges ofthe 85 i vices upon opposite sides of each cutter also I are yieldable independently of mite the brackets to be shifted rearward or pulley 22 is rigidly secured to its shaft 24, forward in the machine until the rolls or and this shaft is driven from the counterdisks are located as required. Clampingshaft by means of a cross-belt 62 and pul- I screws 44, 45, hold the shaft 35 in position leys 63, 64, secured to the respective shafts,

s in the brackets. thus operating the. conveyer-belts.

A cover or guard 47 preferably is pro- The machine described is particularly: devided to protect the cutters and to avoid signed for use in cutting fish, but it will danger to the operator. In Fig. l the cover be obvious that the principles and features is shown in open position in full lines, the of my invention are applicable to machines. a

10 closed-position being indicated in dotted for cutting meat and other materials of a lines. As illustrated, this cover is substansimilar nature. a tially semicylindrical in shape and consists The conveyer-belts are prevented from of a curved plate 48 secured to parallel working sidewise by means of guide-pins 65 curved ribs 49. The rear portions of the cooperating with the lower runs of such 16 brackets 10, 11, are connected with each belts, the said guide-pins entering the spacesother by a cross-bar 50,: ,7 hich' is provided between adjacent edges of the belts. The with lugs 51, 51, to provide support for the guide-pins are applied to a cross-bar 66 ribs 49, 49, and these brackets are provided which is supported in proper position by at their front ends with inwardly-extending being attached to the machine frame.

20 projections 53,. 54, upon which the free ends I claim as my invention. of the outer ribs rest when the cover is in '1. In a machine for cuttinlg1 fish into short closed position. One long pivot pin 55 serves lengths, the combination wit a plurality of to pivotally connect all the ribs to the supparallel rotatable cutter-disks, and a plu- 70 porting lugs 51, 51. rality of traveling conveyer-belts movable 25 Hold-down gu-ardsor strippers preferbetween the cutters, of a pair of movably ably are provided to prevent the cut 'mamounted rollers arranged upon opposite terial 'being lifted by the rapidly rotating sides of each cutter closely ad acent its outcutters in the rear of the shaft 2'. These ting edge and positioned to press the fish are illustrated at 56, 56, and conveniently against the conveyer-belts.

30 may consist of metal platessecured by their 2. In a machine for cutting fish into short rear ends to the cross-bar 50, pro ecting lengths, the combination with a pluralityof downward therefrom and then forward beparallel rotatable cutters, and a, conveyer tween the cutters, and bent upwardly at means conveyin the fish to said cutters, of their forward ends partly around the spac presser' means olding the fish against the ing-sleeves to facilitate the entrance of the conveyer means during the cutting operpieces of fish between such ends and the ation, and comprising an independently conveyer-belts. yieldable presser device adjacent each cutter Drivin mechanism may be arranged in and close to thecut made therebyand hold- 86 any suita le manner. In the construction down guards between the cuttersprevent- -50 illustrated the pulley 19 is driven by means ing the cut pieces being lifted by the roof a band 19, Fig. 1, from a pulley on an tating knives. overhead shaft (not shown), thus rotating In testimony whereof I afiix my signature the shaft 2 and the cutters 1. A counterin presence of two witnesses.

shaft 58 mounted in the lower part of the WILLIAM T. GAMAGE. as machine frame is driven from the'shaft 2 -Witnesses:

by means of a chain 59 and sprocket-wheels J WM. DAROY,

6 0, 61, secured to the respective shafts. The MARGARET OARROIL. 

